Nieuwenhuis, who entered the game hitting .179 in 56 at-bats after being recalled from Triple A Las Vegas on June 9, raised his average to .233 with his first four-hit game.

He had a triple, a double, two singles and two walks, becoming the first Mets player to reach base six times in a nine-inning game since Mike Piazza on May 27, 2000.

"I don't know if I have ever done it. It feels great," said Nieuwenhuis, whose 14th-inning homer tied Thursday's game against Arizona that the Mets lost in the 15th. "I have just been trying to stay more direct to the ball. Other than that, relaxing at the plate."

Wheeler (2-1) gave up three runs and seven hits and walked three. He struggled in his two previous starts since pitching six shutout innings in his major league debut.

"I am happy about my outing even though there were some low points," said Wheeler, who escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the fifth. "You know throwing 20 pitches an inning and only going five, but I battled out there as best I could and got a good result."

Brewers starter Johnny Hellweg (0-2) allowed seven runs in 3 2-3 innings, but only three were earned. He also walked five. He was rocked for seven runs in 1 2-3 innings in his first major league start on June 28.

"There were better moments," said Hellweg, who was 6-0 with a 1.64 ERA in his last seven starts at Triple A Nashville before being called up. "I don't think I'd use the word good, but I did better than last time."

Carlos Gomez had four hits for the Brewers, including two RBI doubles, and robbed pinch-hitter Marlon Byrd of a home run in the seventh with a leaping grab above the center-field wall.

The Mets hustled their way to three unearned runs in the second inning for a 5-2 lead, despite hitting only one ball out of the infield.

Omar Quintanilla drew a leadoff walk and advanced on Wheeler's sacrifice bunt. Quintanilla moved to third, and Eric Young reached on an error by shortstop Jean Segura. Daniel Murphy's high chopper back to the mound was gloved by the 6-foot-9 Hellweg, but Quintanilla dived back to third ahead of Hellweg's throw as Murphy reached to load the bases.

Ike Davis then drove in a run with a slow-rolling single to Segura, who had no play. After David Wright lined out to first, Nieuwenhuis grounded a two-run single to right, just past the glove of diving second baseman Rickie Weeks.

The Mets made it 7-2 in the fourth with the aid of another error. Wright walked to open the inning and came around on singles by Davis and Nieuwenhuis. Davis scored from third on a two-out error by third baseman Aramis Ramirez.

Nieuwenhuis accounted for another run in the sixth when he walked, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and came home on John Buck's single. He doubled in the eighth and scored on Juan Lagares' single to make it 9-4.

Nieuwenhuis tripled in another run in the Mets' three-run ninth.

Juan Francisco opened the fourth with his 11th home run to trim the Brewers' deficit to 7-3. Milwaukee scored single runs in the seventh and eighth on RBI doubles by Gomez and Logan Schafer.

"We sure didn't play well," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "We didn't pitch well today, we didn't play well defensively today. We swung the bats OK. I messed up, too, on a play. So nothing went right."

Hellweg's wildness helped the Mets score twice in the first. Young singled to open the game and moved to third on Wright's one-out single to right. Hellweg then issued consecutive walks to Davis, who entered hitting .161, and Nieuwenhuis to force in a run. Wright scored on Lagares' fielder's choice.

"He has really good stuff, it's just a matter of getting ahead and throwing strikes," Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy said of Hellweg. "Sometimes it gets away from him. He gets behind in counts, and the next thing you know they put good swings on him. We didn't exactly make a lot of plays behind him."

Milwaukee answered with two unearned runs in the bottom of the inning on an RBI double by Gomez and a sacrifice fly by Ramirez.

NOTES: Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, on the 15-day disabled list with an injured right thumb, took swings in the indoor cage Friday. "I haven't talked to him since he swung. I talked to (third base coach) Ed Sedar and he said he swung the bat real well. I just haven't asked Ryan how the hand felt," Roenicke said. Braun is scheduled to take batting practice on the field Saturday and Monday. When Braun is ready to be activated, he won't be sent on a rehab assignment, Roenicke said. ... Wheeler's two-out single to right in the third was his first major league hit.. Josh Edgin pitched the final 1 1-3 innings for his first save in two opportunities.

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